Windmill



Nov 18, 1930. A. B. WILLENBRING WINDMILL Filed Dec. l, 1928 3- Sheets-Sheet, l

N0V- 18, 1930- A. B. WILLENBRING 1,782,280

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@W4/@www WINDMILL Filed Deo. 1 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet, 5

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HW /z f n Z5 0 m ,l mwmfff A@ #f 'W 7 57 "325, MUM/71% Patented Nov. 18, 1939 Fries ARNOLD B. WILLENBRNG, OF RCI-VMOND, MNNESOTA WINDMILL Application filed December 1, 192B. Serial No. 323,128.

rlhis invention relates to windmills, and more particularly to a device kof this character permitting a proper control of the speed of operation of the propeller vanes, thus adapting the device for use in the operation of generators. l

A further object of the invention is to produce a construction such that the speed 0f operation will rapidly pick up after starting vto the desired or normal speed.

` A still further object of the invention is to provide a construction permittingthe cperation to be cut olf at any time.

A further object of the invention is to provide in an apparatus of this character a novel and improved governor structure controlling the position of the vanes.

A still further object of the invention'is to provide a device of this character which may be readily and cheaply manufactured, which will be durable and eflicientin service; and a general improvement in the art.

These and 'other objects I attain by the construction shown in vthe accompanying drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustrationis shown a preferred embodiment of my invention and wherein Figure 1 is a side elevation partially i section showing a windmill apparatus constructed in accordance with my'invention;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the windmill, a ,section of the hub casing being removed and parts being shown in section;

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3 3 of Figure 2; v

Figure 4 is a section on the line 4 4 of Figure 2; Figure 5 is a detail sectional view through the governor yoke;

FigureG is a fragmentary sectional view showing the normal position of the vanes with respect to the wind when the device is stationary; Figure 7 is the initial position assumed by 15 the blade under the influence of the governor weights in operation;

Figure 8 illustrates a further movement of the vanes under 'the influence of the governor weight;

Figure-9Vv shows the position to which the vanes maybe moved by operation of the manual cont-rol means.

Referring' Anow more particularly to the drawings, the wind wheel comprises a casing 10 preferably split for convenience in assembly and having disposed at opposite sides thereofv outwardly extending tubular bosses 11. lnteriorly of the casing and surrounding the inner ends of the bores of the bosses are retainingl means 12 for bearings 13, while the outer ends of the bosses mount bearings 1e. In the bearings 13 and 14 are mounted shafts 15, the outer ends of-which have secured thereto vanes 16 which are rigidly secured to the shaft.

The inner end of each of these shafts is provided with a crank 17 preferably having a threaded socket 18 in which the inner end of the'shaft is threaded and which is split and clamped upon the shaft by bolts 19. Each of these shafts mounts the outer end of a crank pin 20, the purpose of which will presently appear.

`MountedV in the opposite walls of the casing and perpendicular to the shafts 15 is a guide post 21 having slidably mounted thereon a yoke 22 providing guides 23 for blocks21i in which the inner ends of the crank pins are engaged. This yoke has secured to opposite sides thereof'arms 25, which extend ink the same general direction as the shafts 15 and act to assist in controlling the position of the yoke. in a manner hereinafter described.

At one side cf the yoke, the guide 21 is surrounded by a spring 26; one end of which abuts the casing and the opposite end of which abuts the yoke, thus constantly urging this yoke in one direction. lt will be obvious that if the yoke 22 is moved longitudinally upon the guide, this movement through the crank pins 2O will be transmitted to the shafts 15 rotary motion; wh reby the vanes supported by the ends of the shafts will have their positions alte-red. Extending transversely of the casing with respect to the arms 25 and inwardly of each arm is a shaft 27, each shaft 27 having secured thereto within the casing and to one side of the guide 21 a crank 28- and a cam 30. Each cam 30 coacts with the associated arm 25. The cranks 28 are each provided with a pin 3l engaging in a block 32 slidably mounted in a groove 33 formed in one tace of a yoke 34 likewise slid- Y able upon the guide 21.

The ends oia the shatts27 extend eXteriorly ot the casing and have secured thereto arms Y 34a, the onterends of the arms of each shaft being'connected by va governor weight 35. The governor weights 35 areconnected by springs 36 to the casing 10 in such lmanner ithat the cam ends 30 of the arms 28 are nornially maintained in engagement with the arms 25otthe yoke 22.

In alignment with the guide 2l, the casing,

l0 is provided with means whereby the wind wheelmay be secured to a shatt37, at presentV indicated as a split tubular boss 38,'the sectionsofV which are drawn together upon the shaft bybolts 39. This shaft, eXteriorly of the boss, is mounted in an elongated horizontal bearing 40 forming a portionot a casing 4l, which has a tubular extension42 mounted '-or rotation in Vvertical bearings y43 carried byV a groove 5l formed in a disk 52 slidablelon-l gitndinally ot the shaft. .This vdisk has pins atower 44 or other snitahlesupport; ''Vithin this tubular extension is mounted ashaft 45, the upper end ot which has secured thereto a bevel gear 46. The innerend ot the .shaft 37 hasV secured thereto a gear 47V coacting with the gear 46. i 'l Mounted upon a fork 48 secured to the bearing 40 is a shifting lever 49, the lower end of which is in the form of a fork 50 engaging in 53 projectingV into the Vcasing and aligning with the inner ends of the arms 25, and these Vpins may be engaged with these arms by shifting the Idisk outwardly. .The lever is conmp'wind is blowing.

'Y ln the operation of-'adevice 'of this cl.

.trolled by a'tleizible element 54 trained over a sheave 55 Vmounted in the casing 4l and the inner-end or" this flexible element is connected toa pnll rod or line 56 extending downwardly through the'hollow shaft to a point where it maybe conveniently operated. Y

acten'the casing 4l will rotate ander trie influence of wind pressure, so that the shaft 37 extends inthe direction in Ywliichvthe A wheel isk atreshthe vanes 16 occupy an angularlposition, with respect When rthe wind .Y to its plane ofrrotation, which is best adapted to overcome its inertia and the inertia of position, nntilthe 4rate of rotation of the" wind wheel increases to apredeterniined degree, by the spring 26 which bears` against the the shafts and gears by which it is connected to the driven element' at present illustrated. as an electric generator. A rlhis or the starting positionottlie vanes'lfis shown in Figure 6., The vanes 16. are yieldingly 'held lin this casing lt)v and againstv the yoke and 30 which by the Vgovernor controlled cams bear aga-inst'the arms 25 car ied" by the yoke.

W hen the rate of rotationof thewind wheel increases to the predetermined degree, the Governor controlled cams 30 move away from the arms 25, with the result that the guide 22 is freed for mo-vement by the spring 26.` The movement imparted to the guide r22 by the spring 26 will turn the blades V16 so as to decrease their angle with respect to the planeV ofrotation 'of the wind wheel, with the lresult that they are positioned more flatly in opposition to the wind. This or the normal operatingpositio-n of the blades V16 is shown in Figure 7.' The blades 16'are maintained in this position, until a further increase takesY place in the rate ofrrotation of theV wind wheehbythe spring 26 and the governor .controlledl cams 30. When this increase in speed occurs thei'ree lends of the governor controlled cranks 23 will be YmovedV in the direction ot the yoke'V 22, with the result that the yoke 34will` contact with the the spring26. Thismovement Yof thel yoke l22 tnrns the vanes 16 in a direction. to in- Vyoke 22 and move it against the tension `of `V yoke 22 inadirection'to decrease the angle of the vanes 16'with respect'to the plane ot rotation of the wind. wheel. lt will thus` be apparent that the vanes 16 when in starting position are at a greater angle Vto the plane-of' rotation o-'the wind wheel Vthan they occupy when they are4 innormal` operating posit-ion, that theV vanes are moved l into their normal operating position when the wind wheel reaches a predetermined :de-

gree of speed,l and that 'when the speed of thewindwheel increases, the vanes are turned intov a greater angle. with respect` to the pla-ne of' rotation of the windwheel, with the result that the wind wheel will be easily started andv itsrrate of rotation will be maintained at its desired degree. lf, at

any time, it is desiredto stopvretation oi?VY the mill, this maybe accomplished by placing iie a strain npon the pnll rod` or line 56,-Y tliereby Vshifting the disk V52 ontwardly,with the result that the pins 53 will shift. the yoke 22 until the vanes' 16 are positioned in their 'Y Aieathering position orthat position where theiredges are, in alignment the direction Yoit movement Vof the wind and the vanesfhave.

no pitch. j Y I Y i lt will be obvious that by controlling'the inovementvof the vanes inthe manner above described, a maximum eh'iciency of theV vanes both in starting and iii/operation. can be had, as differentiated from -those types yot governorl controls for `vanes, whereinY theVv isc vane is simply shifted from a normal operative position toward an inoperative position by the governor.

With such devices, it will be obvious that Where the vane is disposed, as it must be Where it has its maximum etciency, in this normal position, the initial movements of the governor, Which will occur practically immediately, Will result in a decreased eiiiciency of operation and in aI decreased speed. Thus, the speed possible in the normal position of the vanes can never be attained with such devices, Whereas, with my device, a desired speed can not only be attained but maintained through a considerable range.

Since the construction hereinbefore set forth is capable of a certain range of change and modification Without materially departing from the spirit of the invention, I do not limit myself to such speciiic structure except as hereinafter claimed.

I claim 1. In a Wheel for Windmills .and the like, a hub casing, radially pivoted vanes carried thereby, an axially disposed guide Within the casing, a yoke slidable upon the guides, slides mounted in the yoke, cranks carried by the inner ends of the vanes, pins connecting said cranks and corresponding slides of the yoke, and means for shifting said yoke longitudinally upon the guide.

2. In a Wheel for Windmills and the like, a hub casing, radially pivoted vanes carried thereby, an axially disposed guide Within the casing, a yoke slidable upon the guides, slides mounted in the yoke, cranks carried by the inner ends of the vanespins connecting said cranks and corresponding slides of the yoke, a rock shaft, a lever carried by the rock shaft and having its ends adapted for alternate operative engagement with the yoke, and means for rotating said rock shaft.

3. In a Wheel for mindmills and the like, a hub casing, radially pivoted vanes carried thereby, an axially disposed guide Within the casing, a yoke slidable upon the guides, slides mounted in the yoke, cranks carried by the inner ends of the vanes, pins connecting said cranks and corresponding slides of the yoke, a rock shaft, a lever carried by the rock shaft and having its ends adapted for alternate operative engagement with the yoke, means for rotating said rock shaft, said lever by engagement of either end thereof with the yoke moving said yoke in one direction, and a spring moving the yoke in the opposite direction.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

ARNOLD B. VILLENBRING. 

